Many years ago, my village was very poor. The villagers had to work hard in the fields all day and could hardly make ends meet. Their lives were simple and they were in need of many things. Many people had to live in houses made of straw and mud, and a few families had a radio or a TV set. However, in spite of the shortages, the villagers managed to send their children to school and college. They hoped that with an education of science and technology, their children could find a way of bettering their lives.

The children have met their parents’ wishes. When they came back from college or technical high school, they introduced new farming methods, which resulted in bumper crops. They also helped the villagers grow cash crops for export. Soon, the lifestyle of my village changed. Today, people live in brick houses. In the evening, they can listen to the news on the radio or watch TV for entertainment. Sometimes they go to town on their motorbikes to do some shopping or to visit their friends.

“ Our lives have changed a lot thanks to the knowledge our children brought home” said an old farmer, “and I always tell my grandchildren to study harder so that they can do even more for the village than their parents did”

UNIT 8. The story of my villageLesson 1: Reading Saturday December 6th, 2008I.Before you reada. Look at the picture and answer the following questions 1. What are the people in the picture doing?They are harvesting.4. What helps produce good crops?Good farming method(s), good weather conditions, soil, water. 2. How are they working?They are working hard3. What do you think of the crop? It is a bumper/good crop.B.VocabularyMud1. Mud (n): Bùn2. Straw (n):Rơm3. Brick (n):Gạch 4. Technical high school (n): Trường trung học kỹ thuật5. Result in (v):Mang lại, đưa đến6. To be made of:Được làm bằng vật liệu gìEg. In the past, my house was made of mud and straw.7. To meet one’s wishes:Thực hiện được ước muốn (của ai)II. While you readRead the passage, and then do the tasks that follow.Many years ago, my village was very poor. The villagers had to work hard in the fields all day and could hardly make ends meet. Their lives were simple and they were in need of many things. Many people had to live in houses made of straw and mud, and a few families had a radio or a TV set. However, in spite of the shortages, the villagers managed to send their children to school and college. They hoped that with an education of science and technology, their children could find a way of bettering their lives.The children have met their parents’ wishes. When they came back from college or technical high school, they introduced new farming methods, which resulted in bumper crops. They also helped the villagers grow cash crops for export. Soon, the lifestyle of my village changed. Today, people live in brick houses. In the evening, they can listen to the news on the radio or watch TV for entertainment. Sometimes they go to town on their motorbikes to do some shopping or to visit their friends.“ Our lives have changed a lot thanks to the knowledge our children brought home” said an old farmer, “and I always tell my grandchildren to study harder so that they can do even more for the village than their parents did”1.TASK 1: Match the words in A with their definitions in B AB1. make ends meet2. in need of many things3- bettering one’s life4- bumper crops5- cash cropsa. making one’s life betterb. have just enough money to pay for the things that you need.c. crops to be sold, not for use by the people who grow itd. having to have manythings that you need do not havee. good cropsAnswers:1.b 2.d 3.a 4.e 5.cAreas of changeBeforeNowHousesRadio and TVFarming methodsCrops Travelon foot/by bikesBy motorbikes2. TASK 2: Read the text carefully then complete the following table. old methods made of brick Many families have a radio or a TV setmachine/new methodsBumper/goodmade of straw and mudFew families had a radio or a TV set2354681109Poor71- What was life like in the author’s village many years ago? 2- Why did the villagers want to send their children to school and college in spite of their shortage?3- How did the children help improve the lifestyle in the village when they finished college or technical high school? 4- What did an old farmer say about the effect of the knowledge the young people brought home? 5- What exactly did he tell his grandchildren? 3. TASK 3: Answer the questions.It was poor and simple.Because they hoped that with an education of science and technology, their children could find a way of bettering their lives.They introduced new farming methods which resulted in bumper crops. They also helped the villagers grow cash crops for export.He said their lives had changed a lot thanks to the knowledge their children had brought home.He told his grandchildren: “ Study harder so that you can do even more for the village than your parents did.”IV. After you read Answer the following question.What will you do to make your village better if you come back from college or technical high school?If I come back from college or technical high school I willAnswer 1. Pay attention to take care of children2. Widen the roads and plant more cash crops3. Help poor children to learn4. Introduce new technologyIV. HOMEWORKWrire a short paragraph (about 50 words) about the changes in your village.Prepare for the Speaking lesson.